Murder in the Mountains?
by cloudedleopard51
Summary: When Steve wins a mysterious trip for four to a camp in the wilderness, the tour guide has plans he doesn't expect. Stuck in the mountains with Mark, Jesse, and Amanda will he catch the killer in time? Completed.
1. Chapter 1

Murder in the Mountains?

Time sluggishly inched forward for Lt. Steve Sloan. He glanced down at his watch for what felt like the hundredth time in twenty minutes. He still had fifty-five minutes and thirty-five seconds before he could go home to a gourmet meal and the company of his father, along with Jesse and Amanda, two friends Steve had invited for dinner.

Steve always enjoyed being with friends and family, and he felt fortunate to have his father and two best friends. Steve still lived with his dad, Dr. Mark Sloan, in the separate living quarters in the first floor of their beach house. Though many people found it strange for a grown man to live with his father, Steve loved the company and assistance Mark provided on tough cases; Mark had a knack for solving murders and father and son had put away countless criminals. Amanda, a pathologist and medical examiner, and Jesse, a trauma doctor, also contributed their friendship and eagerness to help him with his cases.

Steve looked at his watch again, sighed, and tried to focus on the scattered papers strewn out in front of him.

"Sloan, step into my office for a second," Captain Newman ordered from down the hall.

Steve flinched in surprise, then gulped. What did the captain want now? He couldn't think of anything he had done recently that would warrant a chewing out by his superior, but that didn't really matter now.

Steve half welcomed the brief respite from the monotonous paperwork as he pulled himself away from his desk and nervously strode down the hall. Some of his comrades gave him sympathetic looks, while others just sneered; this did nothing to quell the nervousness that he might be removed from the LAPD. After taking a calming breath, he hurried past his co-workers and entered the captain's tiny office.

"Sloan," Newman greeted dully without looking up from a file, "apparently all the cops in this department were entered in some strange contest, and you won."

"Really?" Steve brightened, relieved that he wasn't in trouble, not to mention the fact that the captain's statement was actually good news. "What did I win?"

"I have no idea," Newman replied, sounding completely uninterested. "I didn't even know there was a contest."

Steve's captain tossed him an orange envelope, and Steve assumed that was the end of the conversation. Steve smiled nervously and, after muttering goodbye, hastily made his exit.

As Steve was walking down the hall to his desk he spotted one of his co-workers standing outside Newman's office, his ear planted firmly to the wall. Steve smirked at him, and the snoopy sergeant retreated. Steve shook his head and returned to his the mountain of paperwork waiting for him. He sighed and looked at his watch again. Only forty-nine minutes and twenty seconds to go.

* * *

"When is Steve going to get here?" Jesse asked impatiently as he stared at the lemon-herb roasted chicken on the table. Its gleaming brown skin and savory smell beckoned to him. 

"Relax, Jesse, I'm sure he'll be here soon. Then you'll be able to devour all of the food Mark made and leave none for us," Amanda answered with a bit of annoyance.

"Not this time, Amanda," Mark called from the kitchen. "I got the largest bird I could find and made plenty of side dishes.

With that, Mark entered and placed a huge bowl of fluffy white mashed potatoes on the dining room table, right next to the sweet corn and buttered rolls.

Jesse's eyes lit up with anticipation, and he tried to refrain himself from stuffing his face right then and there.

A rustling from the front door of the beach house caught their attention. Seconds later, the door opened and in stepped Steve Sloan.

"Hey guys," Steve greeted tiredly.

After a couple minutes of small talk, Steve plopped into one of the hard wooden chairs and pulled himself closer to the table.

"Looks good, Dad. Thanks," Steve spoke after gazing at the luscious poultry.

"It's my old secret recipe," Mark explained, taking a seat at the table.

Mark paused and studied his son for a moment. "Long day?" he asked after taking note of Steve's weary demeanor.

"No, boring day. I spent six hours straight filling out paperwork and closing cases," Steve replied, helping himself to a thick slice of chicken and a heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes.

"So there are no new mysteries to solve, no perplexing murder cases?" Jesse asked, piling his plate high with chicken and corn.

"Nope. Oh, and I won some contest that the department entered me into without my knowledge."

"What did you win?" Amanda asked, scowling at Jesse as he took both legs and thighs of the bird.

"I haven't had the time to look yet," Steve replied, grabbing a roll for himself before Jesse took them all.

"Well open it!" Jesse urged, "You might have won a new Corvette or something."

"I'm eating," Steve declared with annoyance.

"Then give it to me."

Steve reached into his pocked and threw the envelope across the table, nearly clocking Mark in the head.

"Steve, watch where you're throwing that thing," Mark admonished.

Jesse tore open the envelope and scanned the letter inside. "OK, it says, 'Dear Mr. Sloan, you have won a trip for four to a luxurious week of camping in the wilderness of the Santa Monica Mountains. We'll take a quiet horseback ride into the woods to our state of the art campsite, complete with running water and electricity, an activity center, and a spa.' The rest is just more specific information."

"That sounds nice, Steve. Do you plan on going?" Amanda asked, secretly wishing Steve would accept and take her along. A spa way away from the city would be a much welcome vacation for her.

"Well, even though I haven't even looked at the letter," Steve fixed Jesse with an playful glare, "It sounds like fun."

"Who are you taking with you?" Jesse inquired somewhat mischievously, wanting desperately to go with his friend.

"I don't even know for sure that I'm going yet," Steve countered, not much in the mood for his friend's eagerness.

"Come on Steve; it's free! So who's going with you?"

"Oh, I don't know, Dad, Amanda, and... maybe another cop," Steve replied with a conspiratorial gleam in his eyes.

"Hey!" Jesse complained.

"Alright, you can come if we can get off work," Steve relented, much to his younger friend's delight.

"So you are going then?" Mark questioned, pouting as Steve snatched the last roll before Mark could even get one. "And you complain that Jesse eats all the food."

"I guess. I don't have any major cases going on, so I'm sure I'll be able to take some vacation days," Steve reasoned, disappointed that there were no more rolls to devour after he finished the one he was eating.

"Would you like to go too, Amanda?" Steve asked.

"I'd have to find someone to watch C.J. and Dion, but I'd love to," she accepted eagerly.

"How about you, Dad. We could all use a vacation."

"What is at the activity center?" Mark asked after a pause, taking the brochure from Jesse.

* * *

"Wow, this place is really secluded," Amanda observed as she, Mark, Steve, and Jesse wandered away from the Moonlight Spring Lodge's parking lot and towards a large cherry colored stable not far away. 

The lot wasn't very big, but from what the vacationers could see of it, it looked like a nice place. A gravel path surrounded by a sea of grass and a rainbow of wildflowers led to the stable area. A small, white building sat adjacent to the stable; farther back was a paddock and a dense forest.

The group was mildly surprised to find people already waiting on them. A pretty blond woman and a somewhat dorky young man with glasses and disheveled hair stood close, holding hands. Three somewhat burly men with a mountain of supplies stood huddled together. Standing alone with an unnaturally bright smile was a young woman dressed in worn jeans and a T-shirt with the lodge's logo. All could make the assumption that she must be the tour guide.

Mark halted abruptly and frowned in recognition. Had he seen this lodge worker before? He thought she looked slightly familiar, but he couldn't figure out where he might have seen her. It was just a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He guessed it really didn't matter and waved off the thought.

"Ah, we've been expecting you!" the woman cheerfully welcomed the new arrivals. "You're Sloan's group, correct?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Steve politely answered, stepping forward and offering one of his winning smiles. " I take it you'll be leading us to the lodge?"

"Absolutely. I'm Lindsay, and I'll be your tour guide! If you will all just place your bags in this cart," the tour guide nodded her head in the direction of a large blue plastic bin, "we'll have it brought to the lodge for you in one of our trucks."

As the others started to comply, Jesse hesitated, then asked, "If you can drive to the lodge, then what's the purpose of getting to it on horseback?"

"Horseback riding is a leisurely and enjoyable experience," the once bubbly tour guide took on a quiet, very forceful tone. "We don't want too many people driving on the trails and messing them up. If we couldn't drive to the lodge, how would we keep the place modern and well-equipped?"

Her sudden, defensive change in demeanor was enough to intimidate Jesse and keep him from asking any more questions for the time being. He shook his head and wondered how someone could be so ecstatic, then suddenly turn so vicious over one harmless question.

"OK everyone, while he is busy with his luggage, let's take a quick tour!" Lindsay exclaimed as she led the others towards the stable, her robotic friendliness returning.

Jesse sighed, tossed the navy blue duffel bag he had been toting into the cart, and hurried to catch up with Mark and the others.

"Alright, then, let's get the horses," Lindsay decided, stopping the group when they reached the horse stalls. "Since Sloan's group won this trip in a contest, the four of you can pick any horse you want as long as I approve.

The lovebirds and strong men were told which horses they would be riding first. The trio of large men were each assigned sturdy brown mares. The blond lady was to ride a rust colored mare with a white blaze on her forehead. The man the blond was with was assigned a black and white horse. Mark, Steve, Amanda, and Jesse waited as Lindsay tacked up the horses and helped the riders into the saddle.

Finally it was Steve's group's turn to pick horses. Mark took a liking to a gentle paint horse named Rising Spirit, and was granted permission to ride him. Amanda chose Morning Star, a gorgeous, rather tiny palomino.

Jesse was having a hard time deciding on a horse, but then, a horse picked him. A dazzling dapple gray mare reached her neck out of her stall, snorted softly, and nuzzled the young doctor. He smiled and stroked her forehead gently, talking softly to the horse.

"What's this one's name?" Jesse queried, hoping the tour guide wouldn't snap again.

"Misty Rose. Do you want to ride her?" Lindsay asked, still cheerful.

"Yeah."

"I don't know what horse to ride. Does it really matter which one?" Steve finally asked after several minutes of glancing into different stalls.

"I suppose not, unless one really sticks out at you," the tour guide responded casually, striding over to a large stall at the end of the barn. "But I think I know just the horse for you."

The tour guide grabbed a halter off of a wall and went to get a horse for Steve. She emerged with a huge, jet black horse with a single white star on his forehead. He shook his head and stamped his forefoot before Lindsay led him to Steve.

"I'll tack your horse up first, Steve. Then I'll get to the other three horses. This is one of my favorites, Midnight Storm. He can be a bit... unpredictable at times, but I'm sure that's not a problem for you, is it?" the tour guide questioned innocently, but Mark thought for a second he saw a taunting, mischievous look in her eyes.

Lindsay speedily got the horses ready and made sure the Sloans and their friends were ready to go. Amanda and Jesse had no problems mounting. Mark couldn't get his foot in the stirrup, and Lindsay had to get a step for him. Eventually, the older doctor was on top of the horse, holding the reins with a perplexed expression. Steve hid his nervousness and swung himself up onto the saddle, a long distance from the ground; he then swallowed his pride and hung onto the saddle horn for dear life.

After a quick lesson on the proper way to direct and stop the horses, the group embarked on their journey, onto a trail leading into the woods. The trail guide went first, then the couple, followed by the muscular men. Mark, Amanda, Jesse, and Steve followed, their horses clipping along in the dirt.

Aside from Steve's apprehension of his huge spirited horse, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Amanda reveled in the beautiful wildlife and the prospect of traveling through it on horseback. Jesse appeared to be having an intimate conversation with his horse, and Steve was nervous but appeared to have calmed down a little and taken a liking to Midnight Storm. It seemed Mark was the only one who noticed anything wrong. It was probably nothing, though he found himself unable to shake an increasing feeling of dread.


	2. Chapter 2

Murder in the Mountains?

Chapter 2

The group had reached Moonlight Spring Lodge after a little over an hour of plodding along on the winding trail. Six rustic, but new, cabins stood aligned in a clearing on flat ground. Two shower houses sat conveniently ten yards away from the cabin on the east end. Farther off was a fairly large wooden building with a sign that read "Moonlight Spring Lodge Activity Center." Adjacent to the activity center was a much smaller, more modern looking building; the outside wall was made from deep crimson bricks and sported the sign, "Spa." A small stable rested back behind the buildings, near trails that branched off into the woods.

"Here we are!" Lindsay cried, gently pulling her horse's reins to stop it.

The others halted their horses also, none really wanting to run into the horse in front of them; all but one horse obeyed the riders' commands. Midnight Storm whirled around when Steve tugged on the reins, then started trotting the direction they had come from. It was all the petrified Steve could do to clench the saddle horn with his both hands, praying he wouldn't fall off.

Then Steve remembered something the tour guide had taught them right before they left for the woods.

"Whoa!" he cried, pulling sharply on the reins.

The horse stopped, Steve turned the horse around, then kicked lightly on its sides. Midnight Storm broke once again into a trot, but at least he was going in the right direction.

When Steve made it back to the others, he used the same method to stop his horse, then complained, "If we're here, can we get off our horses. I'm tired of riding."

"Alright, then, Mr. Sloan. Let me dismount first," the tour guide chirped.

Lindsay tapped her heels on her horse and directed the mare towards the stables to untack; the group followed her lead. She helped each rider down, then busied herself with the task of taking care of each horse.

"I'll be done in a little while," Lindsay explained to the group as she worked. "Feel free to explore the campsite."

With the tour guide's words, everyone dispersed. The blond woman went to check out the spa, dragging her boyfriend with her. The three macho men walked off towards the activity center. Mark, Steve, Jesse, and Amanda huddled in front of the cabins, talking quietly.

"I didn't know there were others going on this trip," Jesse commented, keeping his voice very low so the crazy tour guide didn't pounce on him again.

"Well, Jesse, they probably paid for the vacation package that Steve won. The lodge would lose money if they just took out four people for a week," Mark reasoned, his voice also hushed to mimic Jesse's, although he wasn't sure why his young friend was practically whispering.

"I'm glad there is another woman aside from Lindsay here," Amanda said, nodding her head towards the blond fawning over the spa. "Maybe we'll become friends."

"Well, those bikers are pretty intimidating. At least_ you_ have someone else to hang around with," Jesse retorted and gratefully noted that the men he was talking about were far away.

"How do you know they're bikers?" Steve asked as he inspected a cabin.

"I'm just assuming, but they look tough."

"Alright, everyone!" the trail guide hollered after she emerged from the barn. "There are six cabins and ten of us. Let's divide them up!"

Lindsay jogged towards the cabins, motioning for the couple and men to do the same. The blond seemed crestfallen at having to postpone her trip into luxury, though her boyfriend seemed elated. The three men were indifferent as they joined the others.

"Let's see," the tour guide started, sizing up the nine people in front of her, "I'll let you pair up, but please save me a cabin, Okay?"

"Um... Lindsay, right?" Jesse started nervously, "Other people work at the spa and activity center, correct? Where do they stay?"

"When we have a group coming in, our employees drive in, then they go home," the tour guide answered happily.

"I thought you didn't want people driving on the trails," Jesse muttered softly.

Lindsay's face darkened a little as she explained, "Our spa and and other workers don't want to stay here for a week. They need a way to get home."

Jesse swallowed hard, irritated that he had voiced his opinion aloud.

"Okay, then, we can share a cabin, right guys?" the largest of the three men spoke up, nodding to his comrades.

"Yes, that's fine," one approved; the other nodded his head curtly.

The blond woman stepped up to Amanda and brightly asked, "Since we're the only women here aside from the tour guide, how about we share a cabin?"

"Sure," Amanda answered, grateful that that the other woman had made the effort to ask her.

"Uh, if you don't mind, I'd like a cabin to myself," the blond's boyfriend shyly admitted.

"Alright, that's fine with me," Mark said, then turned to his son and Jesse. "That leaves two. Who gets the cabin to themselves?"

"Do you want it, Amanda?" Steve asked, "You don't even know your cabin-mate."

Amanda looked over to the blond lady, then shook her head. "No, this will give us a chance to get to know each other."

Mark ambled over to the cabin closest to the restrooms and showers. "I'll take this one," he said, stepping inside to have a look around.

"Well, Jesse, I guess we're sharing one," Steve commented as he entered the cabin closest to his father's; Jesse followed.

"Lucky me," Jesse commented dryly, "I get to listen to you snore all night."

Steve shot him a glare, then retorted, "Alright, then you can sleep outside, and I'll have the cabin all to myself."

"I don't think so."

The two friends took a moment to glance around their living space. There were two bunk beds with fresh linens, a fan, and a small table.

"I thought the brochure said there was water and electricity hookup," Jesse complained searching for an outlet.

Steve took out his cell phone and started playing around with it. After a few moments, he sighed in frustration and stuffed it back into his pocket.

"They probably meant in the restrooms, activity center, and spa," Steve figured, claiming the bed closest to the window. "Why do we need electricity in here anyway?"

"For the T.V., the radio, to charge my cellphone..."

"Jesse, we can't get a cell phone signal here," Steve pointed out absently.

"How do you know?"

"Because I just tried it."

"That's lovely. Well, I'm starving. Does the activity center have a restaurant or something?" Jesse asked hopefully.

"We can find out," Steve replied as he walked to the cabin door.

Mark and Amanda were waiting when Steve and Jesse stepped outside.

"What do you want to do first?" Amanda asked

"I want to check out the activity center," Mark declared; the others agreed.

It was a short walk and wouldn't have taken more than a couple of minutes to get there if they hadn't encountered the tour guide.

"Hi guys! Your belongings are here and will be put in your cabins for you," Lindsay told them, fiddling with a long strand of her brown hair. "Where are you headed?"

"To the activity center," Steve answered blithely, grinning at the attractive woman. "Can you tell us what's there?"

"Certainly. There's a dining room, ping-pong table, a video game room, a climbing wall, and various other activities. If you prefer the outdoors, there are plenty of scenic trails. I can lead a horseback ride deeper into the woods if you like."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

Lindsay left grinning. She might just be able to obtain the friendship and trust of Steve Sloan.

About an hour later, after Mark had tried his hand at just about every activity in the activity center, the four were seated at a table with food, talking.

"It's hard to imagine there's other staff here, with us being in the wilderness," Amanda commented, trying to decide whether or not to take a bite of the crusty egg salad on her plate.

"That's why it costs an arm and a leg to go on trips like this," Steve answered in between bites of meatloaf. "I looked at Moonlight Spring Lodge's website. They take people here for weekend and week-long vacations. The lodge charges enough to make up for all the time they don't have people out here by ripping off everyone who comes."

"Then why would they send four people out of nine for free?" Mark wondered aloud.

"Beats me. You know, the food here is pretty good," Steve told no one in particular.

"Steve, I'm guessing this is just frozen food heated up in an oven or something. Most of the food you like is completely unappetizing," Jesse pointed out, picking at his plate for emphasis.

"I was expecting a lot more from this place myself," Mark commented, recalling his previous experience with the activities. "They only have one ping-pong table, only two outdated video game systems, their climbing wall is extremely small, and the food is worse than Community General's."

"I know what you mean," Amanda agreed looking at her plate in disgust.

"I don't see what you have against cafeteria style food," Steve whined.

"Wow, I didn't realize it's getting so late," Amanda said as she glanced at her watch. "I'm going to go get settled in and maybe chat with my roommate."

"Me too," Mark said as he stood to throw a good portion of his food away. "I want to get an early start tomorrow."

"Hey," Steve complained when Mark dumped his paper plate in the trash. "You could have given that to me."

* * *

Mark Sloan loped down the dirt trail, eyes fixed on the breathtaking morning sunrise. He didn't even consider the possibility that he might get lost; he wouldn't go too far alone. All was well for the doctor until his foot caught on something and he went toppling to the ground.

Grunting, Mark picked himself up, brushed off his pants, and inspected what had interrupted his walk. He was surprised to find a tiny ball. After studying it for awhile, he was able to determine that the foreign object was a smoke bomb.

Mark had no idea why a smoke bomb would be lying in the middle of a hiking trail. Maybe they were filming a movie, but why would they leave an unused prop there? He didn't have to figure it out right then. Maybe the answer would come later.

Still curious, Mark picked up the sphere with a tissue from his pocket. Then he stuffed the strange item into a compartment inside his jacket and continued his walk.

Mark wandered aimlessly until he came to a fork in the trail. Not wanting to spend hours trying to find his way back, Mark turned around to head back to their "luxurious" campsite.

After only a few minutes of walking, Mark could see the lodge and Amanda not far away. He gave a welcoming grin as he approached his friend.

"Morning, Mark!" Amanda greeted as she saw the older man walking towards her. "Do you want to see the spa. That's where I'm going now."

"I'll go for a little while, though somehow I don't think Steve and Jesse would be interested," Mark replied eagerly, raring to go after a refreshing sunrise walk.

"Alright, now I'll have some company," Amanda said gratefully, "The woman sharing my cabin is so annoying. She just keeps yapping and yapping and blabbering and spreading rumors, and she is just driving me nuts!"

"And I think you just said "and" four times in one sentence."

Amanda stopped walking, placed her hands on her hips, and scowled at Mark.

"Then do you at least see what she's doing to my grammar?"

Mark just chuckled and continued towards the spa, Amanda running to catch up.

When the friends entered the building, the place was unlike anything Amanda had expected. A single, wooden desk stood in the middle of the space; a young redheaded woman sat behind it. In one corner, two folding tables that resembled cots were set up. In another corner, a few chairs sat around a triangular table that held nail polish and files. A metal door with a window could be seen in the back. Near the door sat a large oak bookcase stuffed with various books, many of them "For Dummies" books.

"Excuse me," Amanda said as she got over the shock of her dream spa actually being a dingy makeshift one, "Can you tell me what there is to do here."

"Uh, yes," she replied. "Even though this place doesn't look like much, I'm a licensed masseuse, and a massage feels good no matter where you are. I was paid a bunch to come out here everyday for a week to lend my services. Anyway, there's a sauna in back."

"A sauna?" Mark inquired, eyebrows raised. "Isn't that expensive for a place on such a low budget?"

"Well, the lodge had a rich couple out here a couple years ago. The couple hated the spa and paid for a sauna to be installed, even though the lodge could have used the money in more productive ways," the masseuse patiently explained.

"Really?" Mark asked hopefully. "So the sauna isn't..."

"Shabby and rundown?" Amanda interrupted, finishing the sentence for Mark.

"Not at all," the masseuse replied.

Mark beamed and made his way over to the metal door in back. He turned a knob on the wall to the "low" setting, closed the door, and sat on a bench to enjoy the comforting heat.

Amanda smiled as she watched Mark, amused at his tendency to always try new things. He acted like a child at times, leaping into new things without giving it a thought.

Just as she was about to request a massage for herself, an explosive boom rang out from outside.

Amanda and the masseuse darted out of the spa to investigate, the massage temporarily forgotten. They didn't find anything abnormal when they scanned the area.

Seeing that both the lodge employee and Dr. Bentley were out of the building, the tour guide sneaked into the spa. Surreptitiously, she tiptoed around the perimeter of the place, making sure the occupant of the sauna couldn't see her approach. She stepped up to the book shelf, right next to the door, and acted very casual as she tipped the wooden bookcase over; it landed with a thud right in front of the door, books spilling everywhere.

Lindsay saw Mark open his eyes for a moment, shrug, and close his eyes again; she sighed in relief. He didn't hear the crashing of the bookcase loudly enough to even give it a second thought.

The tour guide reached out a hand and turned the temperature dial on the wall to the highest possible setting. A small timer sat below the knob; it only had five minutes remaining. Lindsay smashed the entire thing in with a hammer, then proceeded to rip the two wires from the timer and twisted them together. Good thing she had read the how-to book on home wiring.

She whistled to herself as she stuffed the hammer in her pocket and made her exit. On her way out, she could just barely see Amanda and the masseuse walking towards a trail, in the direction the noise had come from.

Lindsay, feeling intelligent because of all the crime dramas she had watched recently, wiped her prints off of the handle with her shirt, then put the hammer back in a tools bin near the activity center.

Lindsay smiled a sinister grin, then went to find Steve Sloan. She was lucky enough to spot him and his friend talking not far from their cabin.

"Hi guys," she said. "How about taking that private horseback ride now?"

* * *

"Okay, now you two go first. I'll walk behind," the tour guide instructed Steve and Jesse right before the group was going to pass a narrow part of the path with a steep drop off to one side.

"Why are you going behind us?" Jesse questioned, stroking Misty Rose's soft fur.

"That's just the way I lead my groups," Lindsay answered plainly as she held back and waited for the others' horses to pass.

Jesse was slightly nervous, Steve terrified, as they rode on horseback, knowing that it was a _very_ long way down if they should fall. Jesse hugged his mare's neck, speaking to the horse in a soothing monologue, as if it would make the horse less likely to throw him off the cliff. Steve gripped the saddle horn harder than he ever had before, his knuckles turning white from the exertion.

The tour guide grinned sardonically as she reached into her jeans pocket. She retrieved a small, jagged rock and aimed it at Steve's horse's hindquarters.

Lindsay suppressed a war cry as she hurled the rock at the horse. The startled horse reared up and bolted, also spooking Jesse's horse. Both friends, atop galloping horses, clung onto their horses' necks for dear life.

Unfortunately for Steve and Jesse, the path was getting rougher and narrower by the yard, and the horses seemed to have no intention of stopping.


	3. Chapter 3

Murder in the Mountains?

Chapter 3

"Hmm, I wonder what that was," Amanda pondered, staring into the forest. "Oh well, I guess it probably isn't anything we should worry about."

She turned around and walked towards the sauna; the masseuse followed her, still looking a bit confused.

"After all I've been through at this run down excuse for a campsite," the pathologist started, "I really do deserve a nice relaxing massage."

"And after such a boring, uneventful day, I'd be happy to give you one!" the woman trailing Amanda replied brightly, grateful to have at least somebody to talk to.

As the ladies entered the makeshift spa, Amanda's eyes seemed to grow to double their original size. First, she noticed the overturned bookcase, lying in front of the sauna door. Then her gaze fell on Mark's red face, smashed against the glass. He was banging on the door and shouting as well.

"Oh, my!" she finally exclaimed as she sprinted over to assist her friend.

Amanda couldn't remember the last time she'd been so scared. The dial on the wall was turned all the way to the hottest setting, and Mark had been in that sauna for quite some time. From the looks of it, it hadn't automatically shut off. Amanda just hoped she got that door open in time.

She hastily moved over to the wooden book case and tried to move it out of the way. Bending over, she grasped onto the top shelf and tried in vain to drag it away from the sauna entrance. Pulling until she was out of breath, she stopped and made one last attempt before admitting defeat.

Casting an annoyed look at the shocked masseuse, Amanda asked desperately, "Could you _please_ give me a hand?"

"Uh, sure," came the reply as the other woman scrambled over.

The masseuse and Amanda each grabbed the top shelf and, slowly but surely, managed to move the book case enough so the door could be at least partially opened.

Mark burst through the door, flushed and gasping for breath. He nearly tripped on one of the "Dummies" books and stubbed his toe on the edge of the book case.

"Oh, Mark!" Amanda breathed as she ran over to him, "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I...I.. don't know," Mark began explaining, still panting. "I thought I heard something, but I didn't think it was anything important, so I ignored it. When the sauna didn't shut off after what felt like a pretty long time, I thought it must be malfunctioning. When I tried to leave, I couldn't get the door open; then I saw the bookcase."

"Mark, look at the wall," his friend instructed slowly.

He turned his head to follow Amanda's pointing finger. Then he saw the dial and the battered remnants of the timer.

"I knew something wasn't right," he mumbled bitterly under his breath.

The older man's demeanor rapidly changed. For a brief moment, Mark's eyes darkened. He didn't look surprised or curious at all. His son and Jesse were out on horseback in the mountains with Lindsay. He should have said something before. Now his son and friend's lives' could quite possibly be in grave danger. He could only pray that the tour guide would screw up.

"What do you mean, Mark?" Amanda asked after a pause.

"It's painfully obvious that someone wanted me dead," he said darkly, "and I don't have to guess to know who it was.

* * *

Jesse frantically yanked on his horse's reins, scared, lightheaded, and painfully aware of the distance he could fall if bucked off. His mare didn't respond at all, too frightened to stop galloping until it was was certain it was away from danger. 

Steve was beyond the point of being scared; he wrapped his arms around his horse's neck, saying farewell to his father mentally.

Jesse started trying to comfort his horse as he noticed the narrowest part of the trail coming up. He whispered softly in its ear, meanwhile incessantly tugging on the reins.

Jesse's horse slowed to a canter, then eventually to a walk. He pulled back on the reins once more, this time more gently, and completely stopped his horse. The young doctor closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

Steve was surprised to no longer feel the rush of air around him or the horse's rapid, graceful movements. Was he dead? He forced his eyelids opened and realized that his horse had stopped and he was _very_ close to a _very_ steep drop.

"Oh!" Lindsay exclaimed in surprise, though only because Sloan and his friend were alive. "Are you guys Okay! I don't have any idea what could have caused them to act like that!"

"We... we're fine," Jesse attempted to answer, "but I'll walk back if that's alright with you."

"Turn your horses around, then," Lindsay instructed gloomily.

The two friends complied, riding their horses extra carefully until they reached a part of the trail wide enough to dismount. Lindsay helped the cop out of the saddle, then went to give Jesse a hand.

Steve looked around while the other two were busy, and a small, jagged rock caught his eye. He walked over and picked it up. This rock didn't look like any of the others on the trail, which were darker and covered with dirt. The lieutenant shrugged, dropped the rock, and returned to his horse.

* * *

The four friends were gathered in front of Mark's cabin that evening, discussing the strange events of the day. 

"You were _what!_" Steve asked incredulously after Mark had explained the murder attempt.

"I was trapped in the spa sauna," his father repeated, unfazed. "The wires inside the timer were twisted together so the sauna wouldn't shut off after ten minutes. Also, the temperature dial was turned up high."

"Do you have any ideas as to who might have done it?" Jesse inquired, eager to help solve a mystery.

"Jesse, I know who did it," the older doctor said as he turned to his son. "Steve, you need to arrest Lindsay right now! Amanda said that she saw her walking out of the spa right after they heard the noise in the woods. She's the only one who could have been in there to do that!"

"Yeah, I had that feeling too when she decided to walk behind us on the trail. Then, for seemingly no reason our horses spooked on the worst part of the path. Look, Dad, I know something is up, but we don't have any proof. And besides," Steve added, "I think there is more to this than it appears. She doesn't seem like the type of person to hold a grudge. Maybe someone else is involved."

"What are you suggesting?" Amanda asked warily, not really liking where the conversation was heading.

"We wait until she really messes up, then confront her. Maybe we can get answers out of her."

"Great. Does that mean we have to stay in this dump for the rest of the week and try not to be murdered by a maniac tour guide out to kill us all!" Jesse asked nervously, his voice rising with each word.

"That pretty much sums it up," Steve replied, smiling politely.

"Well, we better be careful," Mark warned. "If she knows we're onto her..."

"Hey, what are you guys doing out this late?" Lindsay interrupted as she approached the group.

"Uh, just... talking," Jesse replied dumbly, plastering a fake smile on his face.

"Well, it's getting late. Lights out."

With that, the tour guide huffed and marched away. So, she thought, the old man was onto her, as was the rest of his group. She guessed that they would have to be pretty clever to outwit her. She would not fail.

As the foursome went to their cabins, each was filled with overpowering worry. None could let their guard down even for a minute.

As the group met for breakfast in the activity center the next morning, they were surprised not to find any staff in the building. Instead of the usual bored worker serving food, they found Lindsay dressed up in an apron. She looked ready to cater to anyone who sat down at one of the cheap, plastic tables.

"What can I get you guys this morning?" she asked, pulling out a notepad and pencil.

"Where is everybody?" Mark asked, ignoring her question.

"Oh, the three guys got up early, grabbed a bite to eat here, then hit the trails for a day-long excursion. The couple was here not long ago; I think they are going out on horseback to one of our easier trails."

"Easier trails?" Jesse complained under his breath. "Then why did we have to go on the harder one?"

The tour guide pinned him with a glare, then gave him another mini-lecture. "Because, it is one of our most scenic trails. I was giving you a private tour. You know, you should appreciate the fact that I spent my time to ensure your safety and to make sure you didn't get lost!"

"No," Mark took back the conversation, "where are the employees?"

Lindsay looked at him nervously for a moment, then explained, "The masseuse said her talents were being wasted because there were only two women, besides me. I let the others go because almost none of you visited the activity center except to eat."

"Well, I'm starved," the lieutenant declared as he took a seat at one of the tables. "I'll have some pancakes and juice."

"Pancakes?" Lindsay asked in a confused voice.

"Yeah, that's what I had yesterday."

"Oh, well, I don't know how to make them. How about cereal?"

"That would be fine," Mark answered sweetly. "And please just give us a new, _sealed_ box for us to share. I hate stale cereal."

Lindsay pinned him with a death glare and went to fill their order. How dare he be so bold and practically accuse her like that! She was sure they wouldn't eat anything that was prepared by her now, but maybe they wouldn't care about the drink!

"Don't forget my orange juice!" Steve shouted as she was leaving.

About five minutes later, she returned with a box of "Fruity Hoops" and four glasses of orange juice.

"Enjoy," she said, her voice dripping with venom, "I'm sorry, but this is the only kind we have."

With that, she turned and hurried back into the kitchen to wait.

A hand grabbed Steve's arm as he lifted the juice glass to his lips. Looking up, he saw it was his father who had stopped the motion.

"Steve, don't drink that! Who knows what she did to it!" Mark scolded in a hushed tone.

"Here, Steve, give the glasses to me," Jesse instructed.

The others looked on, surprised and amused at his tactic. Carefully, he took his own glass and emptied the contents into a nearby plant. He was halfway done with the second glass when Lindsay stepped out of the kitchen and saw him.

"What are you doing!" she demanded, arms folded across her chest.

"Uh... this plant looked like it needed water, and the only thing we had was orange juice so I just poured some in," the young man finished lamely, hiding the emptied juice glass behind his back.

"Right. I'm guessing you didn't like the orange juice? You could have just told me, though it was nice you didn't want to hurt my feelings." Her voice was sugar sweet.

"Well, you know, I hate pulpy juice, and this stuff had way too much pulp in it."

She studied him a moment, then spoke evenly, "It's pulp free."

Jesse looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He could have kicked himself for saying such dimwitted things. If she didn't know they were onto her before, they sure did now. Mark and Steve were going to hate him for being such an idiot!

"You know," Mark interjected, trying to save his colleague, "I thought it tasted pulpy too. I guess they're doing false advertising. Actually, I think we'll just eat this outside where it's warm. I have bottled water in the cabin."

As Steve rose from the table and everyone left, Lindsay's anger boiled. They were just taunting her! They managed to get out of all her elaborate plans. How could they foresee everything she was about to do! Oh, well, she would just have to consult more of her "How to" books.

Mark and Amanda picked at the sugary, tasteless cereal, while Jesse and Steve seemed to almost inhale it. The older doctor and the pathologist knew how unhealthy it was, but the youngest doctor didn't seem to care. In no time, the box was completely empty.

"I'm so tired of staying here, doing the same things. I want to call C.J. and Dion, but I can't get a signal on my cell phone," Amanda complained after staring at the wilderness around her for a few minutes.

"We can't just walk up to the tour guide and say, 'Sorry, Lindsay, but we really don't want to be killed by you. Could you please give us keys to the truck out here and tell us how to get to a main road?'" Steve pointed out. "We need to get her to do something really stupid. Then I can intimidate her into telling me who else is behind this."

"How do you know someone else is involved?" Mark asked.

"I'm just speculating, Dad."

Not a half hour after they left, Lindsay sauntered out of the activity center and approached Steve.

Mark inwardly groaned as he watched Lindsay coming towards them. He did not like the idea of being all alone in the mountains with a murder. The other staff and vacationers, at least for the time being, were all gone; it wasn't hard to imagine why. If they didn't play their cards right, they could all end up dead.

"If you are bored, how about you go on a hike?" she suggested innocently, "I'll show you which trail to take, but I want to be back here to serve lunch if one of the other guests come back."

Steve didn't know what to do. Would it really be a good idea to be out on an unfamiliar trail with nobody but a murderous guide around? Though, he might be able to catch her in a murder attempt this time. He would go, but he needed to prepare first.

"Sure," he said, forcing a grin, "but I have a killer headache. Let me just take some aspirin, and then I'll be ready."

Nodding to Lindsay, Steve dragged himself back to his cabin, rubbing his head; he had to make it look convincing.

The trio of doctors watched him go, took one look at the tour guide's strangely happy face, then quickly followed the lieutenant.

"You really have that bad of a headache?" Jesse questioned, concerned about the way his friend was acting.

"No," Steve replied after glancing behind him to make sure Lindsay was far away. "I need to get something from the cabin. I didn't want her to get suspicious."

"Why is it suspicious to go to your cabin for a minute?" Amanda asked, raising an eyebrow.

Steve sighed, quickened his pace, and walked into his cabin. The doctors watched as Steve ripped open one of his bags, then stuffed his pockets with rubber gloves and evidence bags. He also took handcuffs and his gun.

"That should do it," Steve said casually as he exited and closed the cabin door.

"You carry those around with you wherever you go?" Jesse asked, bewildered.

"Well," Steve stated, "you never know when there's going to be a murder. Or, in this case, attempted murder."

"I hope you're right about the 'attempted' part," Mark whispered; no one else heard the quiet remark.


	4. Chapter 4

Murder in the Mountains?

Chapter 4

"Here we are!" Lindsay declared as the group reached a place where the trail split into four. "Take the path second to the right, then take a left at the next fork. It will take you in a circle- a total of only a few miles of hiking. Now I have to get back to the activity center. Bye!"

With that, the tour guide turned sharply, then skipped back down the trail, towards the lodge. She was happy this time. Sloan and the rest were stuck in her territory.

When she neared the campsite, Lindsay made her way over to a tool shed instead of the activity center. The other guests had poor directions; they wouldn't be back anytime soon.

The group of four stood in the same spot Lindsay had left them at for some time. After a few minutes, Steve broke the indecisive silence.

"Well, are we going to take the trail?" he prompted.

"Steve, she could have done anything to sabotage the path," Mark pointed out, and Steve was sure his father was extremely worried.

"I'll be extra careful to watch for traps," Steve said, then took a breath and started treading down the path Lindsay told him to take. "We need to catch her in whatever she's planning to do. The sooner we can prove something, the sooner I can arrest her."

Jesse followed Steve after a brief hesitation; Mark and Amanda sighed and caught up to them before they got out of sight.

"Uh, Steve?" Jesse asked after awhile. "How long do you think it would take to get to a main road if we started right now?"

Steve stopped walking abruptly, nearly causing Amanda to crash into him. "What? Are you suggesting we let an attempted murderer to go free? Right now, we only have circumstantial evidence. We need real proof if we want to get her convicted."

"I guess you're right," Jesse admitted after a pause. "Though I'm really glad that the killer isn't very intellectual."

They continued in silence, pulling themselves up the increasingly steep trail. On a flat part of the path, the group took sight of a suspiciously placed pile of leaves in the middle of the trail.

"Ah, here's the trap," Jesse pointed out the obvious, inspecting the ground.

"Is that all you can do, Lindsay?" Steve asked under his breath as he walked way around the hole.

Steve yelped in surprise as he plummeted to the ground. He had been so concerned with avoiding the inevitable hole that he had been clumsy enough to trip on a dead log.

Instantly after the lieutenant's cry, explosions sounded from under the leaves. Birds in surrounding trees flew away, and the foursome covered their ears as they backed away.

After all the explosives had gone off, Mark went to the hole to investigate. He brushed away the charred plant remains with his foot, then found firecrackers planted inside. Red and black wires ran from the firecrackers and into the woods.

"She probably thought your scream was from you falling into the trap and triggered the explosives," Jesse said as he came up behind Mark to examine the hole also.

"I did not _scream_, I shouted. There's a difference," Steve retorted.

"It sounded like a scream to me," Jesse said.

Steve glowered at the young doctor, then surreptitiously sneaked off into the woods. He drew his gun and scanned the foliage to look for the tour guide. He eventually found the detonator and a small 12 volt battery, but nobody was anywhere to be seen. She had probably fled instantly after she pressed the button.

Steve grinned as he pulled a pair of latex gloves out of his pocket and put them on. Carefully he picked up the detonator and battery and placed it in one of the evidence bags he had so brilliantly brought along. Then he peeled off his gloves and pocked them along with the bag.

When he returned to his father and friends, Steve held up the evidence bag.

"Lindsay was long gone when I got there, but hopefully her prints are on this," Steve told them. "So, Jess, do you now agree that it was a good idea to bring evidence bags with me?"

"Well, you were lucky, but it really is bizarre to carry that wherever you go, especially on vacation," Jesse said.

"Come on," Amanda suggested, "the sooner we get out of these woods, the less chance we have of being maimed on this trail."

The path became even steeper, like a ramp, and the group was growing increasingly weary.

"Ugh, how much longer is this trail going to be?" Amanda asked, her voice sounding almost like a whine.

"Well, Amanda, we haven't walked all that far. It's taking us a long time because of the incline," Steve said.

Up ahead on the trail lay old grown up train tracks that were seemingly paralleling the trail. Upon closer inspection, they saw that this small area had been recently cleared, with a new bench over the tracks.

"Wow, at least this campsite has resting spots on the trail," Amanda spoke with relief.

"Why would someone bother to clear this area over these train tracks?

And why would a bench be over them?" Mark responded after thinking for a bit.

"I don't care. I want to rest for a minute," Amanda said as she dragged herself over to the bench and plopped down.

Steve and Jesse followed the pathologist's lead and sat down on either side of her; Mark reluctantly joined the three.

Laying next to Jesse was a a flat remote control, face down, with a large button on it. Jesse picked it up and started playing with it.

"I wonder what this is," he told no one in particular.

"Jesse, be careful!" Steve scolded, though it was too late; Jesse had accidentally pressed the button.

"Oops," the young doctor said sheepishly.

Immediately they found out they had perfect seats to an explosive show. Red, green, blue, and white fireworks apparently launched from the valley shot into the sky. While the noise was deafening, they had to admit that the phenomenon was beautiful yet, very, very strange.

Far into the woods, a female voice sweetly sang through the trees, "Blood on the tracks, blood in the mine! Brothers and sisters, what a terrible time! Old 97 went in the wrong hole..."

Her song was wasted, as nobody was around to hear it, but that didn't matter as she released the old train car.

"Jesse, what did you do!" Steve demanded as he snatched the device from Jesse's hands.

"I... I don't know," he admitted.

Not long after the fireworks began, a loud thudding and clicking could be heard from up the mountain.

"What's that sound?" Mark asked, rising and looking around.

"It's just the fireworks, Dad," Steve assured him. "It's pretty stupid, even for Lindsay, to think she can kill us with those."

The sound got increasingly loud as the train car picked up speed. Mark and the others looked back in the direction of the tracks and eventually caught sight of the train barreling towards them.

"Look out!" Steve shouted as he jumped away from the bench.

Jesse, Amanda, and Mark also sprinted away from the train tracks just seconds before the car tore through the bench like it was made of paper. Pieces of wood flew to the right and left of the tracks, and the car kept speeding along. Not more than thirty seconds later, a boisterous crash echoed through the forest.

"For some reason, I'm not really tired anymore," Amanda told the others in a shaky voice.

Steve ripped out his gun and darted up the tracks, to finally arrest the attempted murderer once and for all. The tracks went up at a steep angle, and Steve was making horrible time. When he finally reached the end of the tracks and a dilapidated building, nobody was in sight.

Extremely frustrated at constantly letting Lindsay get away, Steve sighed and walked back down the tracks to the three doctors.

"She got away again," Steve grumbled as he reached them.

Still scared and stunned, the others just shook their heads and continued their way down what might be a deadly trail.

After walking for about an hour in silence, a loud thwacking sound could be heard in the distance.

"What's that?" Amanda asked, stopping and surveying the forest.

"I don't know," Mark replied thoughtfully.

"At any rate, let's keep moving. We have a lot more trail to cover," Steve said confidently.

While skeptical, the others followed. As they walked, the group noticed a steep drop off to one side and another forest at about the same altitude across a valley.

"Wow!" Amanda breathed as she walked, "It's beautiful! What a great view!"

Not five minutes later, an earsplitting crack exploded through the forest on one side of them, and a fairly large tree plummeted to the ground. It landed right in front of Mark and Amanda, and right behind Steve and Jesse. The branches nearly reached the drop off.

"What the-" Steve let his sentence trail as he whirled around to see the tree trunk lying horizontally on the trail.

"Well, Steve," Mark started, still shocked at having the tree nearly crush him, "here's another attempted murder."

Steve sighed and shook his head. Of all the ways to kill someone in the wilderness, this one had never even crossed his mind. How could someone kill four moving people with one falling tree? Or firecrackers, or even a train car for that matter. Lindsay was getting pretty desperate and way too cocky.

Steve pulled out his concealed gun, gave the others orders not to move, then sprinted into the woods to catch the would-be murderer. He would not let her get away again.

"Lindsay!" Steve called. "I know you're here! Come out or I may be forced to shoot!"

"Shoot?" Lindsay feigned innocent terror as she stepped out from behind a tree. "Why? I was just getting some firewood."

"Yeah," Steve retorted sarcastically. "What about staying at the activity center to make lunch?"

"Like I said, I was getting firewood to cook!"

"Don't you have an electric oven and stove?"

"Well..." she made an attempt to answer, before coming up with an excuse. "Yeah, but I like cooking outdoors over flame so much better!"

Steve rolled his eyes, then walked back towards the trail. To his surprise Lindsay followed him to the others.

"So, you admit that you cut down this tree," Steve stated more than asked.

"Yes," she answered curtly.

"And it was just one big coincidence that the tree fell on a path far away from the campsite, right as we were walking by?"

"Yes" Lindsay repeated, feeling ingenuous for marking a few trees with spray paint beforehand and having created a convincing story. "I only cut down certain, marked trees in denser parts of the woods. This tree is marked, as are others on this trail. Distance is no problem, as I have my truck parked farther up the trail. Besides, I assumed you would have already passed this point by now."

The tour guide pointed to the white X on the now fallen tree and on a few others. Steve, Jesse, and Amanda looked mildly stunned, but Mark showed no emotion.

"And what about the hole with firecrackers we stumbled upon and the train car that nearly rammed into us?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she declared, flipping her hair.

"Well," Steve finally said, "then I suppose you wouldn't mind letting us help you with the firewood."

"Not at all," she replied, forcing a cheerful tone and smile. "I need to get something from my truck first."

With that, the tour guide jogged down the trail and disappeared out of sight.

Mark immediately took the time to search around for clues. Behind the tree that had fallen, he found two sharp axes. Why would one person need two axes? How _could_ one person her size fall a tree by herself?

Dr. Sloan was brought out of his musings when he thought he heard what sounded like an engine starting. Just when he expected to see Lindsay's truck speeding down the trail to barrel into them, Mark caught sight of Lindsay slowly making her way towards the fallen tree.

Right as she reached the group, shots rang out from the other mountain. The tour guide ducked and dropped to her knees, covering her head.

"Get down!" Steve shouted, tackling his father to the dirt path.

Jesse and Amanda followed the others' example and wasted no time falling to the ground.

Bullets splintered the trees behind the trail, coming fast and furious towards the them.

After a minute, the firing ceased altogether. It took nine more for everyone to build up enough courage to stand.

"What," Steve started after he regained his composure, "was that?"

"Gunshots," Mark replied gravely.

Steve scowled. He knew that much.

Mark took a minute to survey the damage. He looked up and noticed that the bullets only hit the upper part of the trees.

Just then, Lindsay burst into a fit of tears, sobbing hysterically. Mark frowned at the action, then took on a surprised, analyzing look. His eyes were searching, empty.

"Johnny doesn't love me anymore!" the tour guide wailed.

Having no idea what she was talking about, the four turned to look at her.

"He..." she began before a wave of crying overtook her, "he told me to kill you. He was set free from jail and wanted revenge. Johnny told me that he would love me if I killed you, but if I refused, he would kill me! I didn't want to! He told me to!"

Stunned, Steve, Jesse, and Amanda just gaped at her; Mark kept his blank stare fixed on Lindsay.

"Why," Lindsay continued, "why would he want to kill me after all I've done to help him! Why would he shoot at me! He probably wanted to kill all of us at once and get rid of me too. I thought he loved me!"

"Who is this 'Johnny' guy?" Steve finally asked.

"Johnny Tabura," she sniffed.

"Oh, yes, we sent him up for murdering his wife. I recently heard that new evidence came out, and he was acquitted," Steve explained mostly to himself.

Mark remained silent as he watched the scene. He remembered John Tabura, but he couldn't place Lindsay with him. Then, his eyes lit up and recognition streamed across his face. Still, he refrained from speaking a word. It was better to wait and let this play out first.

"So you're saying that your boyfriend forced you into trying to kill us?" Jesse asked, leaping into the conversation.

The tour guide meekly nodded her head, tears still streaming down her face.

"Why did he want all of us dead?" Amanda inquired, beginning to feel sorry for the young woman in front of her.

"He said that anyone in association with Sloan also needed to be killed. That's why he wanted me to send a free vacation for four," she explained.

Steve hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Well, is there any way you could help us catch him?"

Lindsay looked hopeful and dried her tears. "You believe me?"

"I always thought there was more to it than just you wanting revenge. I suspected someone else might be involved."

"It's going to take awhile to figure this out," Amanda said. "Let's meet back in one of the cabins."

* * *

"Steve, you don't actually believe her story, do you?" Mark asked in a whisper just outside of Lindsay's cabin. 

"Whether she was threatened with her life, I don't know," Steve answered, "but I am confident that someone else is the one who planned this. She may be an innocent dupe, or she may just go along with whatever her boyfriend says. I want to nail the other person involved!"

"I did find two axes near the tree. Someone else is in on this, but..."

"Exactly. And if we don't have her help, we may never catch him."

Mark sighed. "Maybe you're right," he said.

Steve and Mark entered the cabin, to find the tour guide, Jesse, and Amanda sitting around talking.

"Alright," Steve said, "how are we going to get this guy to admit he's trying to kill us?"

Lindsay smiled and whipped out a silver cell phone from her pocket. She turned it on and pressed a speed dial button. A few seconds passed, then the tour guide chucked her phone at her bed across the room.

"I pay $40 a month for this kind of service!" she complained.

"Well, how are we going to get in contact with John now?" Amanda inquired, raising her eyebrows at the probably damaged phone now lying beside her on the bed.

"We'll just have to go into the nearest town tomorrow and call from there. We'll arrange a 'sting' there to catch John," Steve answered. "Lindsay, just to make sure you don't make a run for it, I need your keys."

The tour guide frowned at him, reached into her backpack, and flung her car keys at Steve's head. Steve caught them before they hit him and gave Lindsay an exasperated look.

While Steve was working out the details of the meeting, Mark got up from his perch on the end of a bed and left the cabin. Jesse rose and followed him out the exit.

"What's wrong, Mark?" Jesse asked worriedly when after he closed the cabin door. "Usually you dive head first into sting operations. Why are you so quiet about this?"

"Something isn't right about this, but I don't have any proof. It's just a nagging feeling," Mark said, walking farther away from the cabins.

Jesse flanked the older doctor, still not sure what was going on. "What do you mean something isn't right? Don't you want to catch whoever else is behind this?"

Mark sighed and faced his friend. "It doesn't seem like we have a choice, but I do not trust her."

"You think she was the one who planned this?" Jesse questioned, digging a circle in the dirt with his foot.

"Maybe, but I know for sure that she is not alone up here."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Firecrackers, explosives, a train car, machine gun- sounds a little strange, doesn't it? Can Mark put all the clues together to figure out the answer? 


	5. Chapter 5

Murder in the Mountains?

Chapter 5

Author's Note: Sorry for the incredibly long delay, but I completely forgot about this story and recently decided that I might as well finish it for anyone interested.

* * *

A small, brick building was nestled between tow low-end apartment complexes. A bright neon sign that read _Joe's Bar_ flickered just above the building. This bar was exactly the type of place most cops in Los Angeles loved to spend time in. The homicide detective reclining in one of the tables of the building, however, felt unclean by even breathing the stuffy air and touching the menu he was pretending to read. 

Steve was starting to become increasingly agitated. Of all the places the tour guide could have arranged to meet with her boyfriend, it had to be at the most rundown joint in the city.

Steve glanced at his watch, muttering to himself when he realized that it had been almost an hour since he had arrived at the bar. "Where is he?"

From the chair across from Steve, Mark looked up, slightly startled. "Steve, have you ever considered the possibility that John will not show up? This could just be another one of the tour guide's schemes." His voice was calm but his eyes flashed with irritation.

Steve sighed and massaged his temples. Glancing over at the young woman sitting alone at a nearby table only increased his headache. "And she just sits there without a care in the world, smiling, waiting!" Steve turned to look at his father and lowered his voice. "I'm beginning to think you're right about her."

Before Steve could contemplate his next course of action, the door to the bar creaked. Steve snapped around and found a tall, dark man standing in the entryway. Steve and the man locked eyes briefly before Steve broke eye contact and innocently stared at his menu. The man peered in all directions like a prairie dog until his eyes rested on the woman seated alone in the bar.

"Lindsay!" the man greeted as he distastefully eyed his surroundings. "Why did you want to meet me in a place like this?" A wooden chair screeched against the floor as he seated himself next to the woman.

Steve brought the menu over his face as he watched the man intently. He had no idea who this man was; it certainly wasn't the John Tabura he remembered putting behind bars.

"You ugly jerk!" the woman exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why did you do it?" She retrieved a handkerchief from her back pocket and blew her nose loudly. "Tell me why!"

The man stared at her dumbfounded and scratched his head. "I came here because you called me and said you wanted to talk to me? What's wrong; has the movie been canceled?"

Mark's face it up and his scowl became a satisfied grin. "It all makes sense now..."

The woman's eyes darkened. She balled her hand into a fist and waved it under the man's nose. "Are you trying to say that this whole thing was an act! You were every bit as involved in this as I am." She slammed the table and gained the attention of all dining at the bar. "Don't play innocent with me!"

The man's eyebrows knitted up in confusion. "But I only did what you told me to. I know that last scene was over the top, but I made sure that you were all out of range when I fired."

" You make no sense. What are you talking about?" the woman whispered.

Mark had watched enough. He stood and approached the table with the hysterical woman. "Oh, I think you know exactly what is going on Lindsay." Mark stared her straight in the eye. "All those traps in the woods- they were just special effects."

The man, flustered, rose from his seat and addressed the older man. "Yes, I was helping her film the special effects for a movie."

Mark' smile grew tenfold. "Ah, then you have everything on videotape."

Steve was amazed at his father's antics. Things had taken a turn he had certainly not expected. He lightly shook his head in disbelief. Steve allowed himself the satisfaction of relaxing for a moment; the case was solved and Mark had once again uncovered the truth behind a strange crime. He was completely unprepared for the next chain of events.

Steve watched in horror as the woman whipped out a pistol. She held the weapon in a firm grip parallel to the ground and aimed at the center of Mark's chest. "No!" Steve cried as he reached for his own gun. "Dad!"

Boom! Boom! Boom! Three shots, and Mark slumped to the floor. Mark's crumpled body was forever emblazoned in Steve's memory. He let out a feral growl and charged the woman with the gun. Police protocols were meaningless. He didn't care what he had to do or how he did it as long as he inflicted as much pain as possible on the shooter.

Steve was on top of the woman before she had time to even blink. Steve kicked the gun out of her hands and pocketed it himself, tackled her to the ground, and roughly pulled her arms back to handcuff her wrists. He left her on the floor as he raced to his father's side.

Amanda and Jesse had been watching the events transpire from outside the restaurant by peering in a front window. As soon as the two saw the gun and Mark fell, time seemed to stop. They flung the door to the bar open and raced to the older man.

Amanda, Jesse, and Steve stood in shock as Mark's eyes popped open and as he sat up.

Steve fell to his knees, all male pride vanishing from him. "Dad." He spoke the word quietly. It was a question, an apology, a statement of genuine love.

Jesse's worry-stricken face became jovial. He laughed a bit to lighten the mood. "Wow. What happened in here, Mark?"

Mark sighed and got to his feet. "John Tabura has nothing to do with this mess. And that man over there is just some innocent special-effects technician." Mark motioned to the horrified man pinned against a wall with several other terrified people. "Every thing's alright folks!" he called. "It's safe; you can all leave. The police will handle things now."

Mark addressed the tour guide. "I don't understand," he said. "What possible motive could you have for doing this?"

The woman shifted and sat up, twisting her wrists to relieve the uncomfortable pressure of the metal. "Johnny Tabura is my brother," she admitted quietly. "He's out of jail and doesn't want to get into more trouble. Somebody had to get revenge for his time wrongfully spent in prison."

Mark nodded but declined to say anything more.

Steve made a call for backup to secure the area and to pick up the tour guide who sulked on the floor and refused to speak a word. The customers in the bar began to slowly disperse. Mark made an effort to usher them out of the building. Steve caught his wrist and gave his father a pleading look. "You were almost killed," he choked out. "If you hadn't done whatever you did, I would have just sat there and watched you die." Steve adverted his eyes to the ground.

"Steve..." Amanda started but was silenced by a glance from Mark.

"You had no control over what Lindsay was going to do," Mark assured him. "The only reason I was so risky in my confrontation was because I found her gun earlier and switched a clip of bullets for blanks." Mark's voice took on a gentler tone. "Steve, I'm fine, Don't beat yourself up over this."

Steve was grateful. He genuinely appreciated his father's attempt to comfort him. The last part of Mark's statement bewildered him, though. "Blanks, dad?" he asked as he went to secure his prisoner. "Since when do you carry around clips of blanks?"

Steve felt better about himself. It was nice to turn the heat on somebody else for a change. Apparently, Steve wasn't the only one to bring strange things with him in unusual places.

Mark shared a conspiratorial grin with Amanda and Jesse. "Actually, Steve," he began with an innocent smile, " I found the clips in your bag."

Steve shot his father a dirty look. Amanda and Jesse tried in vain to stifle their laughter when they felt Steve's glare upon them. Soon, all four were chuckling. Steve realized that he was being a traitor to his own cause, but that was irrelevant. After the stress of the past few days, a little mirth was gladly welcomed.

Jesse was the first one to sober up and become serious. "I suppose this means you don't want to finish our camping trip?"

He was met with three dubious stares.

Mark sighed and glanced at the woman kneeling on the floor. She looked up and glared daggers at Mark before silently crying to herself. "Jesse, I don't think I ever want to go on another camping trip again."

Mark recalled the memories of the brief time he spent at Moonlight Springs Lodge. "No more horses, no more tour guides, no more trails, no more crusty food." Mark was oblivious as Steve roughly pulled his prisoner to his feet and led her out of the bar. He didn't hear Amanda and Jesse follow Steve out the door. "No more explosions, no more saunas, no more trains..."

Mark glanced around and realized he was the only person remaining in the building. "And no more shabby, little bars!"

END


End file.
